Sliver-forming machine



Oct. 20, 1925.

w. E. cooK suvm FORMING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12. 1,924

A TTOH/VEY Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES y l 1,557,804! PATENT oFFl'cEf.vj

WILLIAM' E. COOK, 0F NEW YORK, -N. Y.

sLIvER-FORMING TTTAGHTNE,y

Application filed December 12, 1924. SerialI Nb. 755,377.

To all whom it may concer-n.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. COOK, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at St. George, in the borough of Richmond, city of New York, county of Richmond, and State of vNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliver-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to sliver forming machines, and more particularly to a mechanism adapted to receive a sheet of' cotton sliver as it leaves the carding machine, and so fold and reinforce it as to produce a continuous strip which may be coiled' in a container ready for use in high speed wire covering machines.

Heretofore in the production of cotton sliver strips for use in making insulated wire, it has been the practice to fold the opposite longitudinal edges of a sheet of cotton sliver upon the central portion thereof with t-he principal object of forming a strip of the desired thickness so as to adapt it for application to a conductor wire to form a thick insulation, such wires being commonly used for outdoor work and in factories. The strip is spirally wound upon the conductor wire and compacted after being thus wound upon the wire. After this compaction of the wire, it is passed through a bath of an asphaltum or similar composition, the absorbent ropertiesof the sliver, and its being merely compacted upon the wire instead vof being felted permits the rapid absorption of this composition, and the saturation of the sliver throughout the entire body ofthe insulation so as to produce a conductor wire having an insulating coating consisting of a fibrous mass, the fibers of which `will be firmly bonded together by an adhesive mediumv which in ltself possesses high electro non-conductive properties.

In the production of such wire, particularly when using high speed covering machines, there has been a tendency, because of the fibers of the sliver strip being only loosely matted, of the longitudinal' stresses or strains thereon, in passing from the container to the wire in the covering machine, to attenuate or break the sliver, thus necessitating the shutting down of the ma-I chine, a back-running thereof, and the splicing of the strip. To overcome this condition, I have heretofore imbedded or enclosed within the folds of the strip,'and cemented to the fibers of the inner surface, a longitudinally extending reinforcing thread, cord or strand which has been found to reduce likelihood of this breakage of the strip. There has been a tendency, however, growing out of the loose matting of the fibers of the strip, for the outer fibers to fluff' away from the strip proper either as a result of rubbing action of the strip in passing over the edge of the container or guides, or even upon entering the compact-ing die, or the first of such dies if a plurality is used. Even when the strip is running free from engagement with any obstructions, its rapid passage through the air may act upon said fluffl so as to cause it to accumulate in a. bunch or ball, thus either resulting in the tearing of the strip, or the breaking of the loosely matted bers at some point thereof, or the compaction of this ball or bunch upon the wire in a manner to have closely adjacent thin and relatively thick spots ofthe coA insulating covering. This condition 4also will cause portions of the sliver upon the wire to be'more closely compacted than other portions thereof, and interfere with uniform c saturation of covering insulation by the asphaltum or other composition, or prolong the time interval required to impregnate every portion-of the covering for thewire. With the above conditions in mind, I have devised a mechanism operative upon the sliver as it leaves the doffer of the carding machine, which to distinguish from the final strip product, I have herein designated the sheet, which will fold the opposite longitudinal edges of thesheet upon the central portion thereof, place a longitudinally extending thread, cord or strand within the body of the sliver as it is thus being folded, without necessarily cementing this thread, cord or strand to the fibers of the sliver, and apply a thread, cord or strand upon the outside, or superfcially, ofthe folded sheet, thus producing a strip which `will resist the longitudinal stresses thereon, and at the same time prevent the accumula-v tion of surface fiuft' in a bunch or ball of sufficient. magnitude to cause the thinning or breakage-of the strip. This mechanism is so constructed that it will operate at a speed commensurate with that of the delivery of the loosely matted sliver by the carding machine, and willl place no stresses upon the sliver while it is being formed in the strip for use in the covering machine, which will cause any material feltingof the sliver, or cause a breakage thereof between the point of its delivery from the carding machiney and its delivery in coil form withinl the container.

I embody in this mechanism a folding horn associated with a mechanism for feeding the longitudinal thread, cord or strand with relation to, and positioning it within, the folds of the sliver, a mechanism for flattening the strip after it has been thus folded ,Y and incidentally feeding it away from the horn and delivering it to a mechanism for applying the exterior or superficial thread, cord or strand thereto, and a mechanism for thereafter folding the wound strip ,upon itself to bring portions of the exterior or superficial strands. within the body of the finished strip, and thereafter flattening the' strip thus folded before delivering it to the container and coiling it in the usual manner.

These mechanisms operate without imparting any twist to the sliver, the resulting product being av continuous strip of loosely matted sliver, having a longitudinally extending-reinforcing thread, cord or strand, and a superficial or exterior thread, cord or strand, the succeeding convolutions of which are spaced apart a distance which will not interfere materially with the porosity of the strip` and yet sufficiently close together to prevent the accumulation of any substantial bunch or ball of fluff, and in fact cause any such to be torn from the body of the sliver as it is passed. from the container to the -wire in the covering' machine.

The invention consists primarily in aslivei' forming machine adapted to co-opcrate with a cardmgmachine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of,

which is (positioned toward the car'ding machme an adapted to receive a wide sheet of sllver, feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, a hollow bearing, a spindle .for a cop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and means feeding the strip away from said hollow bear1ng and delivering it to the coiling mechanism of a container; and in such other novelk features of construction and combinatlon of partsas are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out 1n the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

'Fig'.v 1 is a longitudinal view of a machlne embodying my invention.;

jacent the folding horn` for the strip as it leaves the carding machine; y

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 2, the spindle bearing and the spindle thereon for applying convolutions of a thread, cord or strand Superficially or exteriorly of the folde sliver strip being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a view upon a larger scale of a short section of the sliver sheet after leaving the hollow spindle showing the exterior or superficial thread,cord or strand applied thereto;

Fig. 5 isa section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and J Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the finished strip as it is delivered to the container.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views. l

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a indicates a standard .adjacent t-he doffer mechanism of a carding machine, which standard has rotatably mounted thereon a bearing for a spindle b adapted to receive a cop of thread, cord or strand, said standard also having mounted thereon a roller guide o and a tension device d. Supported adjacent the standard a is a folding horn e, the axis of which is in substantial alinement with 'the periphery wards the standard a and is of a diameter substantially equalling the width of the sheet of sliver to be folded thereby.

Upon the standard a, below the guide roller e, is a guide bar g, below which' the sliver sheet passes with the twofold object of spacing this sheet away from said guide roller and directing it with a slightly upward pitch into the bell of thev horn, to facilitate the folding of the opposite edges thereof as it is passing therethrough. This bar is used4 because the roller o 1s not of sulicient width to keep lthe sheet flat.

Beyond the small en'd of the horn is a pair of driven rollers h and It', exerting light pressure upon the folded. sheet, the upper of these rollers L being mounted in slotted standards i so asto be capable of movement toward and from the roller h, and limit the pressure exerted upon the sliver sheet to the weight of this roller. Only a light pressureis exerted upon the folded sheet at this point, which pressure however, is suiiicient to flatten the folded sheet and relieve the portions of the sliver sheet between said rollers and the dolier of the carding machine from such longitudinal stresses a's would tend to break the sheet while within, or before enteringthe .folding horn.

I have found in actual practice that the "roller h. to prevent undesirable compac-` surface as shown, thus relieving the pressure along the longitudinal center of the bearin folded sheet, and facilitating the'lateral expansion thereof as the sheet is flattened, while compensating for the slight additional thickness along said longitudinal center due to the presence of the thread, cord or strand,

and the overlapping edges of the sheet. By driving only the roller l1., the above results are obtained, and yet, all portions of the matted sliver between these rollers and the doer are relieved fromany feeding stresses greater than those developed by the light pressure exerted by the roller h.

IBeyond the rollers k-L is a fixed hollow j, through which the folded sheet with tie enclosed thread, cord or strand passes after leaving said rollers, this bearing being fixedly supported from the frame of the Inachinefso as to exert no twisting actionupon the'folded sheet.

Rotatably mounted upon the bearing j is a spindle lo, carrying a cop of thread, cord 0r strand c said spindle being driven in any desired manner as by the belt and pulley mechanism m, to spirally wind the thread,

' cord or strandabout the folded sheet as it is leaving said hollow bearing.

Beyond the hollow bearing is a second folding horn n spaced away from said spindle, and adjacent the outlet of this horn is a pair of driven flatteningrollers o-o which.

l carding machine. After leaving the rollers k-h, the thread, cord or strand f will be so combined with the folded sheet as to permit a direct drawing actionof these rollers, while preventing any attenuation of the folded sheet. The rollers o-o, however, are spaced apart sufficiently to limit the pressure exerted thereby to that required to flatten the folded sheet, there being no material felting action, since after leaving said rollers- 0--0, the mass of fibers of the strip will expand. The pressure exerted by said rollers will, however, matte the interior fibers sufiicientl to hold the strip in folded form, the finished product being as shown in Fig. 6. y

The horn n toward its outlet is so formed that it will merely give a single fold along the longitudinal center of the previously folded sheet.

After leaving the rollers o-o, the finished strip is delivered to and coiled within the container p in the usual manner, such being shown merely conventionally in the drawings, the coiling mechanism not being shown in detail as this is old and well known in this art.

In the accompanying drawings the sliver sheet before being folded is indicated at g; after folding with the enclosed longitudinal reinforcing thread, cord or strand g', and the finished strip at g2.`

The operation of the herein described machine is substantially as follows i In the accompanying drawings, 'I lhave shown a single unit for forming a strip for use as the insulation of a conductor wire, it

being understood that a plurality of such l by such machine, this sliver being cut into l sheets of a width desired to form an insu-v lating strip of the desired width. The con-- struction and operation of each unit, however, is the same as every other, the duplication ofA parts resulting merely in the si-V multaneous production of a number of strips from the output of a single carding machine.

As a single sheet of sliver leaves the doffer roll and slitters of the carding machine, it passes below the guide bar g and through the folding horn e, opposite edges of the sheet being turned first upwardly, and then downwardly, of the central portion thereof. The thread, cord or strand f is also threaded through the folding horn above the sheet g so that these edges are folded thereupon by said horn.

Owing to the light fluffy properties of the sheet l, this foldlng action may be somewhat irregular, and there is a tendency to bunch the folded sheet toward the center' thereof.

As the folded sheet with the enclosed or imbedded thread, cordvv or strand f leaves the horn e it is passed betweenthe rollers k-h through the hollow bearing j, through the sliver forming mechanism by said rollers at substantially the same rate at which the sheet g is delivered by the carding machine.

As the folded sheet g passes between the rollers h-z, the movable upper roller It will exert sufficient pressure to flatten out the folded sheet and at the same time exert "a sufficient feeding action to draw the sliver i 59 ness, and possibly slightly greater density. of, or the entanglement of the coils, due to a bulk of the folded sheet along the longithis Huf from the rest of the strip, when tudinal' center thereof, and permits the this light fluE reaches one of the spaced desired feeding and,` iattening action portions of fthe yexterior thread, cord or throughout substantially the entire width strand, it will either break loose from the c edges thereof being folded together', thus 4of the folded sheet, thus avoiding attenuarest of the strip as a result of the resistance vtion of the portion g of the sliver or breakbencountered due to the rapid movement of age thereof. At the same time since the the strip, or will be laid upon and will comroller la is positively driven at a fixed speed, bine with portions of the strip beyond this these'rollers will prevent the transmission point.

ofthe longitudinal stresses upon the sheet It has been found inactual practice, with as a result of the pull exerted upon the high speed covering machines, that this fluff folded sheet by the rollers o-o, thus limitfor loosened surface fibers will not tear free ing the main longitudinal feeding stresses of the strip in the absence of the thread, exerted by the rollers -0--o to the portion cord or strand c,but will gradually increase of the folded strip between said roller in size until a ball or bunch of considerable It and said rollers o o. size is formed which will possess sufiicient The hollow bearing serves merely to per- Weight and meet sufficient resistance when mit the passage of thei folded sheet subpassing through the air to ultimately be stantially axially of the spindle lo. As the torn therefrom by the air resistance, or enfolded sheet leaves said bearing y', the congage the mouth of the compacting die and stant rotation of the spindle lc Will cause the be torn from the strip, this tearing action thread, cord or strand lc to be wound spiresulting in a complete severance of the rally about the folded sheet g', the rotation strip at this point. If the bunch or ballis of the spindle lc being in a direction counter not suiiiciently great to cau-se the die to tear to that required to unwind the bobbin, servit from the strip, it will enter the die, and

ing merely to ive the desired motion to the be compacted therein, the portions of the cop to cause tie spiral trend of the thread, strip from which the iulf is formed receivcord or strand, the actual feeding of same ing a much lesser degree of compaction beresulting from the lineal traverse of the cause of loss of bulk, the result being varifolded sheet.- ance in the diameter of different portions In passing through the folding horn n, of the covered Wire, as well as in the degree the portion g receives one fold, opposite of compaction ,at different portions thereof. In coiling the strip in the container-p, the causing portionsl of the thread, cord or coils are formed between the center and the strand la to be folded'within the finished Wall of the container, portions of Succeeding strip as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, convolutions only overlaying each other. the rollers o-o serving to temporarily but Sometimes when one coil is drawn from the lightly compact the strip thus folded for the container, the outer fibers thereof will be purpose of-flattening same and for impartlfound to be enmeshed with the outer fibers ing continuous traverse of uncompleted porof an-adjacent coil so`that there is a tendtio'ns of the strip through the machine ency, as the strip runs from the container,-

It is to be noted that as the sliver passes to lift up several coils at once. This tendthrough the machine, its treatment is such enc is apt to cause rapid, long runs of the that if the rapid the air between t u enmeshed or entangled.

as to avoid any twisting action thereupon, flu due t-o the weight of the coils which or effect any material compaction thereof are lifted, but the thread,'cord or strand lc so that as the finished strip leaves the rollers will prevent this tendency by causing the 0 0, it is still a light fluffy mass having fluff to-break from the strip, thus dropping practically all of the characteristics of the the coils within the container and avoiding portion g except as to its increased 'thickany possible obstruction of the outlet there- The fibers will still l-ay substantially longibunch thereof being drawn from the contudmally of the strip and will still be lightly tainer at the same tlme. Y

i The fold of theportion Q by the horn n Ihe location of the exterior or su erbringing portions of the thread, cord or 'ficlal spaced portions of the thread, cor or strand k. within this fold, will interrupt the strand c will prevent surface Huff from'ac continuity of the spiral trend of the thread,

cumulating in a ball or bunch of any macordI or strandje/and also provide obstrueterial volume. If the outer fibers, by reations within the fold which will prevent the .son of entanglement' with succeeding conrunning of the fluff inside of this fold.

volutions of strip in the container, or by I 'have found in actual-practice that a frlctional engagement with parts of the consliver strip produced by a 'mechanism emtainer or the machine, pull outwardly so bodying my invention permits the effective e container and the wire sures a more uniform product and avoids '1n the covering machine, tends to separate that curtailment of the output of themaplassage of the strip through use of high speed covering machines, eny 4 chine incidental to breakages of the strip,

however infrequent, due to the action herein referred to of the surface find.

. It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction y shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from they spirit andes'cope of the invention.

Having describedthe invention, what I -claim as new and desire to have protected by rotating said spindle, and means feeding the strip away from said hollow bearing and delivering it to the coiling mechanism of a container. v

2. A sliver forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted 'to receive a wide sheetof Sliver, upper and lower feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, means positively driving the. lower of said rollers, means whereby the upper of said rollers may have movement toward and from said lower roller, to apply a light yieldable pressure upon the foldedv sheet passing between said rollers, a hollow bearing, a spindle for a cop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and means feeding the strip away-from said hollow'bearing 'and delivering it to the coiling mechanism of a container.

3. A sliver forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding ma;

chine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of sliver, upper/and lower yfeed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded v sheet, means positively driving the lower of said rollers, means whereby the upper of said rollers may have movement toward Aand from said lower roller, to apply a light yieldable Ypressure upon the folded sheet passing between said rollers, the upper of said rollers having a concaved periphery, a hollow bear-v ing, a spindle fora cop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and means feeding the strip away from said hollow bearing and delivering it to the coiling mechanism of a container.

4. A sliver formin machine adapted to co-operate with a car ing machine, embodying therein la folding horn,- the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of sliver, feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, a hollow bearing, a -spindle for acop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, a folding horn beyond said hollow bearing and a. pair of rollers beyond said last named folding horn operative upon the strip to apply a final compaction, and a drawing stress thereto as far as vsaid first named feeding rollers.

5. A sliver forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodyingtherein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of sliver, upper and lower feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, means positively driving the lower of said rollers, means whereby the upper of -said rollers may have movement toward and from said lower roller, to apply a light yieldable pressure upon the folded sheet passing between said rollers, a hollow bearing, a spindle for a cop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, a folding horn beyond said hollow bearing and a pair of rollers beyond said last named folding horn operative upon the strip to apply a final compaction, and a drawing stress thereto as far as said first named feeding rollers.

6. A sliver forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of sliver, upper and lower feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded said rollers, means whereby the upper of said rollers may have movement toward and from said lower roller, to apply a light yieldable pressure upon the folded sheet passing between said rollers, the upper of said rollers having a coneaved periphery, a hollow bearing, a spindle for a cop lof thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, a folding horn beyond said hollow bearing and a pair of rollers beyond said last 'named folding horn operative upon the strip to apply a final compaction, and a drawing stress thereto as' far as saidiirst named feeding rollers.

7. A sliver formin machineadapted ,to co-operate with a car ing machine,-embody ing therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a widesheet of sliver, a-spindle for a cop contaimng a reinforcing strand, a guide for said strand in substantial axial alinement with said folding horn, whereby said strand will be positioned within the folds of the material passing through said horn, feed rollers be- .yond' said folding horn for flattening theA folded sheet, a hollow bearing, a spindle for a ycop of thread rotatably mounted. uponV said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and

means feeding the strip away from said hollow bearing'and delivering it .to thecoiling mechanism of a container.

8. A sliver forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the ca-rding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheetV of sliver, a spindle for a cop containing a reinforcing'strand, a guide for said strand in substantial axial alinement with said folding horn,- whereby said strand will be positioned within the folds of the material passing through said horn, a guide bar for the sliver sheet positioned below and away fromv n the guide for said strand, feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, a hollow bearing, a 'spindle fora Cop of threadf rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and means feedingy the strlp away from said hollowbearing and delivering it to the c011- v ing mechanism of a container.

lSli

9. A sliverA forming machine adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodyving therein a folding horn, the entrance ofl which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of l below and away from the guide for said 'tatably mountedv upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, and 'means'feeding the strip awayf-rom said hollow bearing and ydeliveringv it to the coilingmcchanism of a centaine 1 l10. A sliver 'forming machlne adapted to co-operate with a carding machine, embodying therein a folding horn, the entrance of which is positioned toward the carding machine and adapted to receive a wide sheet of sliver, a spindle for a 'cop containing a reinforcing strand, a guide for said strand in substantial axial alinement with said folding horn, whereby said strand will be positioned within the folds of the material passing through said horn, a tension device positioned .between said spindle` and said guide roller and operative upon said strand, a guide bar for the sliver sheet positioned. below `and away from the guide vfor said strand, upper and lower feed rollers beyond said folding horn for flattening the folded sheet, means positively driving the lower of said rollers, means whereby the upper of said rollers may have movement toward and from said lower roller, to apply a light yieldable pressure 'upon the folded sheet passing between said rollers, the upper of said rollers having a concaved periphery, a

hollow bearing, a spindle for a cop of thread rotatably mounted upon said bearing, means rotating said spindle, a folding horn beyond said hollow bearing and a pair of rollers beyond said last named folding horn `operative upon the strip to apply a final compaction, and a drawing stress thereto as far as v sa-id first named feeding rollers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aliixed ymy signature this 8th day 'of December,

`WILLIAM E. cooK. 

